Dark Angel
by Liger0Sniper
Summary: Cody is kidnapped a year ago by a guy who knows what he's doing. Now Zack is seeing odd things in his dreams and in reality until he can't take it anymore. Does Cody really want to kill Zack? Planned to be reedited.
1. Unnoticeable

Disclaimer: I do not own TSL in any way whatsoever. Period.

**Dark Angel**

_Chapter 1:_** Unnoticeable**

Thirteen-year old Cody Martin cut a comical figure as he wobbled his way out of his classroom. His attitude and overly neat style repelled most of the good-looking girls as well as attracted many bullies. Some of which were eyeing him with disgust. They may as well been glaring at a wall as Cody remained oblivious to them and staggered past, being weighted down by the heavy books in his arms.

"Hey Cody, what's up?"

Cody looked up from his stride. Max was beside him, her green eyes glancing curiously at his books.

"Nothing much, delivering some textbooks before going home," he replied and shifted his hands slightly.

"Are you, um, going anywhere?" she asked, nervously scratching the back of her head.

Cody muffled a chuckle, "With my mom's paycheck, the only place we're going is school. Why do you ask, Max?" he saw her biting her lip with a distracted look on her face, "Max?"

"Um, it's nothing. Really." She replied, perhaps a bit too quickly.

Cody raised an eyebrow and gave her the infamous "I know you're hiding something" look.

"Um. This might sound weird," she started uncomfortably, "but I got this feeling that I'm not going to see you for a long time." She felt her face turn red and lowered her head.

"Oh, okay." Cody tried to eliminate any sounds of confusion in his voice.

"I'm sorry, that must've been really random." She replied.

"No, not at all. I…" but Max was already trotting down the hall, the conversation long forgotten.

---

Cody burst through the door of their suite and collapsed on the floor, wheezing.

"Man, I can't believe we climbed twenty three flights of stairs – Oof!" he gasped as Zack tripped and fell on top of him.

"Hey, what's all the commotion?" Carey asked as the boys got up.

"Nothing at all." Zack replied breathlessly.

"Yeah, nothing except Zack tried to kill me with a protractor." Cody muttered quietly.

Carey's eyebrow rose but she quickly let it off. "Okay. Boys, do your homework and try not to start a war." She said and walked out of the room.

The twins did their homework in silence until Zack finally pondered upon a question aloud.

"...Equals three times the square root of… of…" he poked his forehead with his pen.

"6!" Cody burst out after several minutes of wild guessing.

"Yeah, thanks." Zack replied as he scribbled the number onto his paper, "Okay, done. Now I have to do science, English, history, geography, Spanish..."

Cody rolled his eyes as Zack trailed off. He got up and grabbed his skateboard and helmet, "Hey mom," he shouted over his shoulder; "I'm going to the mall since I'm finished with homework."

---

The sky grew dark as thick black clouds washed over the usually calm blue night. Rain pelted downwards like bullets as lightning streaked across the cloudy sky.

"Just my luck," Cody muttered as he flipped on his hood, "How'm I supposed to be back for dinner in _this_?" he threw down his skateboard and charged into the stormy darkness.

"Man, if I wer –" Cody abruptly stopped as he swerved and missed a lamppost. But by doing so, he bumped into someone and lost his footing.

"Jeez! What's with people these days?" he wondered aloud.

He rode into an alleyway and hoped it would be a shortcut. Cody didn't see the trash and such littered about and tripped onto concrete steps, badly skinning his hands. "Why am I so clumsy, dammit!" he spat and took off his helmet.

"My, my, my. Such strong language coming from a young boy."

Cody spun around to see a man in probably his mid-thirties or early forties. This was peculiar since he had shoulder-length silvery gray hair.

"Who're you?"

"My name is of no importance." He said, reaching out his arm, "But if you really must know, my name is Ezekiel, Zeke for short."

Cody reached out and Zeke hefted him to his feet, "Thanks, uh, Zeke."

"You hate humans too, hmm?"

Cody was surprised, "What do you mean?"

Zeke merely ignored him, "I'm not surprised that you would. After all, you're one of us."

'_Who of what?'_ he wondered, "I should be going now." He picked up his skateboard and turned around. He was about to ride off but a strong gush of wind knocked him into the brick walls. Cody held his arms up in defense and was jabbed forcefully in the stomach. He doubled over, the air knocked out of his lungs. Straining his neck, he looked up to see a pair of mischievous red eyes before his vision slowly faded into darkness.

* * *

This is probably in the middle of the second season. Hope you enjoy! Feel free to correct any grammar/spelling/punctuation mistakes & reviews are highly appreciated!

_**Trivia:**_ (Ask Zack) _if you look closely at Cole when he banged his head on the locker for the first time, his leg is hitting the locker the same time as his head._


	2. Disappearance

Disclaimer: I do not own TSL.

**Dark Angel**

_Chapter 2:_** Disappearance**

"Wow, it's raining pretty hard outside." Zack said, looking out the window of their suite. Icy cold droplets splattered everywhere and turned the world into a glob of grey.

"Yeah, I wonder if Cody's okay," Carey said, setting down a plate of food in front of Zack, "He's going to miss dinner."

"Ha! We're having broccoli for dinner, no wonder he's not home yet." Zack laughed but it turned into a nervous chuckle as he saw his mother's expression. He then cleared his throat and reached for a glass of milk.

"I hope he's not in any kind of trouble." Carey said, eyes fixed on the door, hoping Cody would come barging in at any moment. "Where could he be?"

"You know what," Zack said, pushing his plate of food away, "I'll go look for him. You stay home in case he comes back."

Zack pulled on a raincoat, grabbed his skateboard, helmet, and flashlight and closed the door behind him.

"Be careful." Carey said to no one.

---

"Ooh, Zack! Any luck?" Carey asked as she rushed to her soaked-to-the-bone son.

"Unless it includes running over a weasel, then no." he replied, ripping off his helmet and tossing it onto his skateboard. "Man, it hasn't rained like that in at least the thirteen years that I've been here."

Carey offered him a fresh towel and plopped herself onto the couch in disappointment. She reached for the phone and began dialing while Zack walked into his room and plopped down on his bed, arms folded behind his head.

'_I bet it's all a hoax._' He thought, '_Cody is scaring us so we might treat him better. Peh, yeah right. Like that's ever going to happen.'_

He yawned and tried to make himself more comfortable in his sheets. Slowly, he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

---

"Ugh." Zack winced as he was prodded awake. "Cody?"

"I wish." A familiar feminine voice said tiredly.

Zack slowly opened his eyes and rubbed them. Carey was kneeling beside his bed. Her eyes were red and bloodshot. Zack looked over to Cody. No, Cody's _bed_. It was still like yesterday: made and ridiculously tidy. Zack felt his heart sink.

"He's not back isn't he." he said but already knew the answer.

---

"So he's gone _what_?" Tapeworm asked in surprise.

Zack and Tapeworm were on the boy's side of the bus while Max chose to sit in the girl's side. She hung her head down and said nothing.

"Okay, so you mean that Cody's gone missing." Tapeworm asked again.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Zack said for the umpteenth time.

The school bus pulled to a stop in front of the school and the three set foot on Revere Middle School's campus.

Zack breathed a sigh. "Let's get this over with." He muttered and entered the jam-packed hallway.

---

"Hey, mom, I'm home." He announced and set his backpack down.

He saw his mother talking on the phone so he slinked into his room. He pounced on his bed and buried his face in his pillow.

'_Is this for real?'_ he wondered, _'Has Cody really gone missing?'_ He clenched his fists until his fingernails dug deep into his palms.

'_Oh please, let him be safe.'_ He sat up and threw himself back against the mattress. He closed his eyes, "I can't believe it's true," he said aloud.

"Oh it's true all right." Carey said as she entered the room. "I've called the police, they said that they're going to do a search soon. As far as I know, no one's seen Cody for the last twenty hours." She sat down on Zack's bed and hugged him close.

Zack felt his eyes sting as he held back tears. Rubbing his eyes, he pushed his mother way and exited the room. He threw himself onto the couch and began to cry, crying until he started to feel drowsy and slowly allowed himself to be pulled away into sleep.

* * *

… yay… (falls asleep)

_**Trivia:**__ In the episode, __"Day Care,"_ the blue monkey that the kids were throwing at Zack and Cody is the same one that's in That's So Raven episodes, "Five Finger Discount" and "Four's a Crowd."


	3. Afterwards

Disclaimer: I do not own TSL.

**Dark Angel**

_Chapter 3:_ **Afterwards**

**_Where am I?_**

_Zack looked around, noting that it was dark. And cold. Very cold. Wisps of white vapor swirled around him, relatively bright against the black canvas. He tried to move forward but his eyes fell on something. Himself. In front of him, the darkness looked glossy. Shiny enough to show his own reflection. Mystified, Zack slowly reached up and touched it. His fingers fell through as though it was made out of water. Zack quickly reeled it out and examined it, questions filling his mind._

_**Who are you?**_

_'Who am I? I'm Zack' confused that he was asking himself such a strange question._

_**What are you doing here?**_

'_Doing where?'_

_**Get out.**_

_The blackness slowly receded and revealed red brick walls. He was standing on a stone path almost drowned with pools of rainwater. The water reflected the sky, making it shine a black color._

'_Get out to where?'_

_**I said, get out.**_

'_Where is there to go?'_

_The bricks started to warp; the stone beneath him swirled with the water and turned into black pools of – something. From the sky, it started raining – wait, no. Blood. Countless drops of blood fell from the sky and soaked Zack in red. Ignoring the coppery smell, he lifted his hand to wipe some off his face and found… a black feather. Yes, a black feather stuck between his wrist and the sleeve of the shirt he was wearing._

_**GET OUT!**_

_The world started spinning and everything melted into a pitch-dark landscape yet again. No way of telling up from down or left from right. Zack noticed a gold speck on his left._

'_What?' He squinted, trying to make out what it is._

_The speck started to expand, enlarge until it eventually engulfed the blackness. The gold started to grow brighter and brighter until it turned white. All he could see was… white._

_**(One year later...)**_

"Zack, get up! You're already late for school!" Carey shouted as she popped two waffles into the toaster.

Fourteen-year old Zachary Martin slowly sat up, then plopped back down. Carey quietly walked into the room and grabbed her son's ear.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Okay, I'm up!" he yelped and rubbed his sore ear.

Zack quickly got dressed and sat down at the table, reaching for a waffle.

"Oh, careful. I just took them out and they're still –"

"YOWCH!"

"- Hot." She finished, having an "I told you so" look on her face.

"Whatever." He said in a pained tone and got up, leaving the second waffle untouched. "I'll get something to eat at brunch." He said and walked out the door.

---

"Hey guys!" Zack waved at Max, tapeworm, and Bob, who were discussing something about homework.

"Hey!" Max said, waving.

_'Man, her smile's nice.'_ Zack thought and had to look away to keep himself from blushing.

"Is something wrong?" Bob asked, noticing him looking away.

"Oh, n-no." he stuttered. "Hey, did you get yesterday's homework?" he said quickly, changing the subject.

Bob shrugged and then walked off as the bell for first period rang.

"You missed zeroth period." Said Max, walking with Zack to their classrooms.

"Uh, yeah. Slept a bit too late last night. Oh yeah, do you know the answer to number six? I'm kind of stuck on that."

"Wait a second," Max said, suddenly stopping. She turned to him, "You mean you were actually serious about homework?"

Zack nodded in affirmative and continued walking. "Yeah. I guess some of Cody's will for good grades has rubbed off on me. Might've taken a while but I finally got it." Immediately, he wished he'd kept his mouth shut.

Max's face fell, then she fixed her eyes on the floor, "So um, I guess I'll see you later then." She said and walked away, leaving Zack standing in the hallway, stunned.

"Ugh, you idiot!" he groaned and turned around to enter class, only to bump into his teacher.

"Ah, late again, Mr. Martin?" he said, eyeing him with mild disgust. He wasn't a big fan of slacking students.

"S-sorry, sir." He muttered and walked slowly to his seat.

---

"Hey Zack, how's school?" asked Carey as Zack barged though the door.

"Terrible." He muttered and tossed his backpack on a chair.

"Why, what happened?" she asked and walked over to him.

"Well first off, my girlfriend dumped me. You know, Melissa. Then I mentioned Cody in front of Max." he said and sat down on the couch.

"Well, Max was a bit emotional about the whole thing and… an…" Carey's lower lip started trembling.

"Aw mom!" Zack groaned and walked over to her.

"I'm sorry, it's just we couldn't find him." She wept.

"Yeah, but everyone pitched in to help. I mean Maddie went over the neighborhood and put up fliers and London was kind enough to let us borrow her father's blimp. Everybody over Massachusetts would've seen it by then." Zack said, putting his hand on her shoulder.

Carey dried her tears and nodded.

"A'right. It's all right." Zack repeated, "I think I'll go get some fresh air."

---

"Hey Maddie, a Snickers, please." Zack said, handing out the money.

"Wow, Zack. This is the first time you didn't try to flirt with me, or try to borrow money. Is something wrong?" she asked as she held out the candy bar. Zack quickly took it and tore off the wrapper.

"No, I've just had a rough day, I guess." He said with a tired tone and bit into the chocolate. "Maddie, can I talk to you?"

"Yeah." She looked Zack in the eye, expecting something serious.

"I, uh, I…"

_Whoaauuuugh!_

Zack and Maddie turned around and saw Arwin fall facedown onto the carpet, his box of junk landing beside him.

"Are you all right?" Maddie asked as she helped him up.

"Yes, mother." He said and staggered towards the couch and sat down.

"What's all this junk, Arwin?" asked Zack, picking up the box.

"Stuff I found around a dumpster. They got a really good vacuum motor in there that actually works!" he said excitedly. He took the box from Zack and hurried off into his office.

"O-kay…" Maddie said slowly, "So what is it that you wanted to tell me?"

"Uh, n-nothing. It's just, um, school problems. Uh… catch you later!" he said and quickly ran off, leaving Maddie in a state of puzzlement.

* * *

Hey! All right, you know the drill, Read and Review! 

_**Trivia:** In the episode "Heck's Kitchen," the old man was saying something along the lines of "Someone help me! Someone help me!" and after Cody cuts his beard off, he says, "You darn (or damn) kids." in Cantonese._

_**Bonus Trivia:** Cody takes on the role of an Italian chef and also speaks with an Italian accent and uses Italian phrases. In real life, Cole actually knows how to speak some Italian and also likes to bake._


	4. Endless Nightmares

Disclaimer: I do not own TSL.

**Dark Angel**

_Chapter 4:_** Endless Nightmares**

_Zack found himself yet again in the vast sea of darkness. The ground was slick and hard, casting his reflection against its shiny surface._

_'Where is this place?' he wondered, 'Why do I keep coming back here?'_

_Bewildered, he took a step forward. The ground in front of him burst into flames and Zack scrambled back for cover. The fire died down and he saw a mirror hovering over the flames with a low, steady hum. Still curious, he peered into it, expecting to see himself but instead, he saw a room. An empty one. As his eyes examined it, he noticed a figure curled up in a corner, seemingly crying._

_'Cody…' he whispered._

_The blonde-haired kid lifted his head and looked around. He was covered with cuts and scars; some of them were still fresh._

_"Zack!" he shouted, tears running down his cheeks. "Zack, help me!" _

_The door banged open and a man walked in, holding a black pistol._

_"ZACK!" _

_Bang._

---

Zack woke with cold sweat dripping down his forehead. He glanced at his clock and saw that it was only three in the morning. He slowly lay back down and thought about his nightmare.

"T'was Cody," He muttered, "He's not… dead."

Zack felt hot tears sting his eyes and he opened his bedroom window, gazing out onto Boston's peaceful night. Zack sighed and looked up at the star-studded heaven.

"Please, help him." He whispered, "Please."

**A Week Later…**

"Hey, mom. I'm home" said Zack and closed the door to their suite, heading towards his room.

"Uh, honey, set your homework on the table so I could check it." Carey said.

Zack did as he was told and went over to the bathroom and peered into the mirror. His eyes were red and bloodshot and his face was pale. He took a shower and slowly strode into his room. He lay his head down against his pillow and picked up his brother's picture. Twelve-year old Cody was holding up a banana slug with one hand while giving a "thumbs up" sign with the other.

Zack sighed then smiled. _'That dorky smile.'_ He thought and set the picture down on his side table.

He closed his eyes and heard his mother humming a soothing melody, causing his eyelids to droop.

_'I can't go to sleep!'_ he thought and his eyes shot open. But eventually, he gave up and let the gentle tune slowly lull himself to sleep.

---

_Zack found Cody lying on the ground next to him, clutching his shoulder. Blood trickled down and pooled as the man approached him._

_"No, please. Please stop!" he begged, but the man only kicked him in the gut, causing him to cough up blood. Zack threw himself at the man but he phased through and landed on the other side, as though he was intangible._

_'Why can't I touch them?' he wondered. He stood there helplessly as Cody's life flashed before his eyes._

'_Why?'_

---

Zack awoke again soaked in sweat. He bolted up and grabbed a cardboard knife. He crept to the living room and made sure his mother was sleeping. Unsheathing the blade, he walked back and locked the door. He pulled up his sleeve and pressed the knife down against his wrist.

He felt the cool blade against his skin and then his warm blood, slowly trickling down. Absentmindedly, he pulled his wrist back and licked his wound. He savored the taste, he savored the pain. Never in his life did he enjoy the taste of blood but he knew. The only way to get over pain… is with more pain.

---

Zack got on the bus and sat at his usual spot, fourth window on the left, window seat. He was wearing a wristband to hide the cut from yesterday. Zack slumped down in his seat and looked out the window. Feeling the time slowly tick by. Third Street. Arlington. Windsor. Boilinger.

At a stoplight Zack's eyes rested on a street corner. Several people were waiting for the light to turn green. Amongst the crowd, Zack saw a flash of gold. He nearly swallowed his tongue.

"Cody?" he said in amazement, his voice hardly a whisper.

The kid's ice-cold eyes locked on to Zack's. He felt his throat turn dry and his heart began beating uncontrollably.

He tapped Tapeworm on the shoulder and pointed at the spot on the sidewalk. "Look, isn't that Cody?" he asked, breathing hard.

Tapeworm merely shrugged and turned back to his conversation with a geek. Zack couldn't believe his eyes, nobody believed him. He spun back to examine the boy, but his spot in the crowd was unoccupied.

_'I'm going crazy!'_ he thought to himself as he sat there, speechless. '_Was I seeing things?'

* * *

_

Hahaha! All right, I swear that if the Sprouses saw this, they're going to sue me. So enjoy! I'm so tired…but I'm back from Australia:) Wednesday, I'm going to NYC! I'll update as soon as I can, I'll bring a laptop anyway. Holla!

_**Trivia:** They didn't air "Ghost of 613" in the UK due to compliancy issues with British Broadcasting Standards dealing with exorcism and the occult._


	5. Harsh Reunions

Disclaimer: I do not own TSL.

**Dark Angel**

_Chapter 5: _**Harsh Reunions**

_An alleyway. 'Thank God it isn't that black place again.' Zack thought._

_He felt a light breeze, causing leaves to dance and the water to ripple. Sudden movement. Zack spun around; he felt a penetrating pain rip through his side. He saw his blood fly. Zack fell to his knees as he saw a red and black swirl. His eyesight began to dim. He tried to stand but felt a great weight on his back; a cold object was wrapping itself around his neck, causing him to shiver. Feathers, white feathers. Bloodstained feathers swirled around him. Everything was enclosed in a blinding gold flash before going black._

---

"Mr. Martin. Mr. Martin? Mr. Martin!"

Tapeworm tapped Zack on the shoulder and he sprung up to a sitting position, gasping.

"Y-yes, sir?" he asked, wiping the hair from his eyes with one hand.

"Tell me, what is the answer to number twenty-six?" his teacher said, his voice ridiculously calm. "Hmm?"

"I…it's…um…" Zack stuttered, feeling his face turn hot. "It's…uh – "

"Save your breath." He cut Zack off and continued on the lesson, keeping a close eye on him for the rest of the day.

---

Zack rested his head on the dining table, feeling drowsy and a bit nauseous. He sighed and tried to focus on his homework.

_'This is hopeless.'_ He thought and pushed his notebook away. His gaze fell on the phone, resting on the desk next to him. He picked it up and began dialing.

_Ring._

_Ring._

_Ring._

"Hello?"

"Hey Max." Zack said, trying not to yawn.

"Yeah, what's up?" she asked, picking up her pencil and doing her algebra homework.

"Look, I gotta tell you something."

"Yeah, what's that?"

"I've been having dreams lately, nightmares. I can't go to sleep without having one of 'em."

"What are they about?" she asked, balancing the phone on her shoulder.

"I don't know, they change all the time. Some I find myself walking in a black place…thingy. Other times I'm in an alleyway or a room."

"Mm hmm." She said and switched the phone to her other ear.

"But somehow, Cody's always involved." Zack heard his voice crack and he cleared his throat.

Max dropped her pencil in surprise, "Cody?"

"Yeah. Sometimes I see him being tortured, other times…I just see blood. And feathers, yeah…and usually, it ends in a gold flash." He recalled.

"You know what, record all the dreams you remember. I'll take a look tomorrow." She said and turned the phone off, leaving Zack with the dial tone.

Ignoring his homework, he booted up his laptop and began typing.

---

You've got mail, A very annoying popup read. Zack clicked over to his inbox and stared.

"Help me." He read. He clicked on it. It was blank.

_'Who the hell would send an empty E-mail?'_ he wondered. He was about to re-open his word document until fifty more E-mails poured in, each saying the same thing. _Help me._

"No way." Zack breathed, "This can't be happening. Virus. Yeah, must be a virus." He disabled the alert and closed the window.

"Okay, calm down." He said to himself, "It's a virus. Don't freak out."

"Zack! Finish your homework!" Carey called and knocked on his door.

"Coming!" he yelled back and printed his work.

---

Max bit her lip as she read Zack's dreams. Zack paced back and forth, nervous and anxious to find out Max's reaction. After what seemed like half an hour, Max handed Zack back his paper.

"So?" he asked, trying not to be rude.

"I think it's your twin telepathy's doing." She answered, "Either Cody's really gone, or…" she paused, "He didn't leave at all."

---

**Zack's POV**

"Mr. Martin!"

"Aah!" I gasped as I woke up from yet another nightmare.

"Okay, that was the last straw. Principal's office, now." My English teacher said. That's not good.

I obediently got up. Mr. Gaub was the nicest teacher around. Getting him mad must've been the last thing I've expected. I slowly walked into the hallway. It was dead quiet. Too quiet

'I gotta get some sleep.' I thought as I stifled back a yawn and walked down to the east wing.

_Thump. Thump. Cre-a-k._

I spun around. Nothing. I shrugged it off, must've been the wind…wait, there's no wind indoors!

_Crunch._

Nervous, I looked over my shoulder and still saw nothing. My heart started pumping. I walked back the way I came from, what the hell is that noise? I heard a loud bang around the next corner and I slowly walked to it. Putting my back against the wall, I craned my head sideways to see around the corner. Nothing. Nobody, not even a trace.

I breathed a sigh of relief, allowing my muscles to relax. I turned to go back and I came face to face with…my heart nearly stopped.

"_Cody?_"

"That's my name, don't wear it out." His cold voice said playfully.

I stood frozen. That didn't sound like Cody. He didn't even act nor look like the Cody I once knew.

"No, I don't believe it." I said ripping away from his gaze. His hair was long and shaggy, hanging over his eyes. but that didn't stop his penetrating stare.

"Well then you'd better believe it." He said, "I'm going to kill you, Zack. Someday, I'll kill you."

He slowly approached me. To tell you the truth, this guy's really freaking me out. I backed up only to hit the lockers. Man do I wish that I had that knife. He slowly withdrew something from his pocket. I visibly flinched, it's a pistol. My life is officially coming to a close.

He leaned close to my face. I mean REALLY close. Close enough that I could count how many freckles he has.

"You'd better say your prayers, brother." He snickered and pulled his gun close to my left temple. I squeezed my eyes shut.

_Riiing!_

"Shit." I heard him mutter. My eyes snapped open, "You're lucky this time." He whispered in my ear and disappeared in a gold flash. I could still hear his voice echoing in my head. '_Soon...'_

I slumped down to the ground. Talk about saved by the bell. I unclenched my fists. I could see deep ridges where my fingernails cut into my palm. I also found something else.

A silver key. Decorated with a highly detailed skull with wings at the base, it also had a hole, where I suspect a chain would be threaded through. On the ground beside me, I found two black feathers along with a strip of folded paper. I unfolded it. It had three sentences of crude handwriting:

"_Tomorrow night. Zylac building's rooftop. Come alone."

* * *

_

So…Tired…! Anyway, I just saw "The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things." It was…creepy. And to those who saw it, I have a question. Before Jeremiah went into that building, why did he see (Dylan) on that horse? Thanks if anyone could answer it.Dylan/Cole looks so cool with black hair!

_**Trivia:** Originally, Ashley Tisdale actually wanted to play the role of London. In the episode "The Suite Smell of Excess," she actually got to see what it's like._


	6. Promise Me

Disclaimer: I do not own TSL. If I did, you wouldn't find this fic.

**Dark Angel**

_Chapter 6: _**Promise me**

**Zack's POV**

I walked out the school doors and slowly approached Max who was talking with some friends. Ever since I encountered Cody yesterday I've been sort of fidgety about stuff. Hopefully this won't affect anything.

"Max," I said, "We need to talk."

Max looked at me and turned back to her friends, saying something about calling her back. I wasn't really listening. Girls and their little "conversations." Reluctantly though, they did leave, leaving Max and I on an almost empty campus.

"So, Zack, what's up?" she asked with a smile.

It took every ounce of willpower to suck up every last bit of that sweet smelling rose scent.

I took a breath, "Max, there's something I want to tell you."

Her smile gradually faded as she noticed how serious I was. "What's wrong?"

"There was something I found out yesterday. You were right."

Max shot me a surprised look, "I was?"

I nodded, "Yeah. You were right about the "Cody wasn't dead" theory. I saw him when I got sent to the principal's office."

"D-did he say anything–do anything?" she asked hopefully as she took a sip of Gatorade.

I fell silent. Should I tell her?

"He…he tried to kill me."

Unexpectedly, she spewed out her mouthful of Gatorade shouting, "WHAT?"

I gulped. This is gonna be harder than I thought. "He said that he's going to kill me, and he left a note saying to meet him tonight."

"At where?" she demanded. Boy, it's creepy having Max so tense.

"On Zylac's rooftop." I said.

Max gave me a puzzled look. "Zylac? The company that makes sportswear?"

I nodded. "If I don't come to school tomorrow, don't wonder where I am. I bet I'm in a better place anyway." I said trying hard not to let my voice crack.

"I don't believe it. Look, if you're going then I'm going too."

"No!" I nearly shouted.

"Why not? He's my friend too."

"Well he's my _brother_, and you shouldn't get involved with this stuff. After all, he only wants _my_ life."

I could see her eyes brimming with tears.

"Okay, for the final time. I'm coming with you whether you like it or not." She said and tried to run off. I grabbed her wrist and yanked her back. Then I did the unexpected. I drew my hand back and slapped her across the face. Well, that stunned her and made her shut up. Double combo. Girls are so stubborn!

"Well I plan on coming back alive." Yeah. That surprised me too.

I pulled her in close, "And promise me you won't go." Tears were rolling down her cheeks.

"Then promise me that you'll come back." She whispered and pulled me into a hug.

"I promise." We said in unison as I hugged back.

I had a feeling that that was the last time I'm going to see her.

---

I sat down on my bed as I fingered the key that Cody left behind. Skulls and wings. Not a good combination. Maybe this could be a way to protect myself. I began looking for a length of string. I remembered that mom gave me something for my ninth birthday. I fumbled through drawers until I finally came across what I was looking for: a chain necklace with a peace symbol. Ha, why did I even keep it?

I took the medallion off and replaced it with the key. I then placed it around my neck. Not the latest style in fashion but I didn't care.

I sighed and looked out my window, Zylac clearly standing out against the other smaller buildings. I had this strange feeling in my chest. Both fear and anxiety were there but it has another twist as well. Like the feeling when you found out your math test was on the week _after_ tomorrow or something like that.

Gripping this feeling, I slowly lay down on my bed, thinking about what he said.

_I'm going to kill you, Zack. Someday…_

I closed my eyes as I drifted into another nightmare.

_Someday soon…_

---

_Light was filtering through soft wispy clouds that hung overhead, casting shadows on the land below. I was in the cold stone alleyway yet again, but not alone. A blonde figure was standing in front of me a good distance away, his head hung low. He glanced back and cast a fierce glare at me, his icy blue eyes boring into my skull. He turned back and with one violent, he fell to his knees as he clutched his head, letting out an anguished cry._

_I stepped forward, wanting to help but instead, hit something hard. Transparent and hard like a glass wall. I just stood there, watching him writhe in pain. He fell to the ground unmoving as I saw dark red blood gush out from the back of his head. I pounded my fists against the wall, punching it until my knuckles turned raw. Out of breath, I leaned against it, my eyes falling onto my wrist. A blood-red mark was slowly etching a thin line on my skin, writing out a fancy-looking symbol in red._

---

I woke up to the loud blaring of my alarm clock. It was about sunset so I bet good ol' mom set it so I could do homework. Classic. I reached out to hit the snooze button and saw it. It wasn't too visible but I could make it out. Etched in red…was the symbol from my dream.

What the hell is happening? I walked to the dining table, expecting mom to be there, but instead, found a note.

_Left early for rehearsal. Heat up some soup. Love, mom._

Ah yes, early rehearsal. Well, that just made it easier on me. At least I don't have to get past her. I grabbed a bus pass and walked out the door.

---

I took the stairs to the rooftop. Gulping down a breath, I pushed the door open and saw…no one.

I cautiously stepped out into the open and looked around. Still clear. Good. I let out a sigh of relief and turned around do leave, only to face icy blue eyes…

* * *

No comment. :-)

_**Trivia:** In the episode "_Poor Little Rich Girl_" we see that Zack and Cody have an X-box._

_**Bonus trivia: **In the episode "Fairest of Them All" the hi-tech stereo in the Martins' suite have disappeared and seems to have been replaced by a TV._


	7. Lost Words

Disclaimer: I do not own TSL.

**A/N: **Just in case you're wondering, Zylac is a _made up_ brand/company.

**Dark Angel**

_Chapter 7:_** Lost Words**

**Zack's POV**

"Look, I just want to talk." I said, slowly backing away with my hands slightly raised as he cocked his pistol.

"Can it," He said, his pistol still trained on me, "I'm tired of talking."

"B-but why would you…? Why are you trying to kill me? I deserve an explanation before I die!" I shouted desperately as I stopped in my tracks.

_Bang. _The empty soda can just beside my right foot exploded.

"Because humans deserve to die!" he spat and fired another shot that whizzed past my head. I could feel my hair ripple from the wind created by it.

"What do you mean?" I asked, getting more confused by the second.

"You know what? Go to the far edge of the building," he pointed behind me, "and look down."

I obediently turned and walked to the edge, which was on my left. I slowly glanced back to see Cody still where he was before, his gun still cocked. I looked down. A cold hand grabbed my hair and yanked my head back, then plunged another onto my throat. Without thinking, I gripped the arm and held on as I felt myself being lifted off the ground. I could feel my windpipe being crushed.

I cast a look downwards and found my feet hovering over an alleyway about ten stories down.

"You never cared about me," he said, and squeezed his hand even tighter, making me gag, "so you're the one who should go first."

"I – so I was the reason…that made you…hate humanity?" I said between coughs.

"No," he said with almost no emotion, "the reason is that they're worthless. They don't deserve to rule this planet."

Okay, back up here. Worthless? Who's worthless? I mean we're all Homo sapiens. Aren't we?

"Goodbye…"

I felt his arm relax.

"…Zack."

I got hit with a sick feeling and I felt myself falling… just falling. I didn't do anything about it. Probably useless anyway. What'll death be like? Will the world just black out when I hit the ground, or will I survive the fall and die a slow, cruel death caused by internal bleeding? I shuttered, squeezed my eyes shut, and waited. Waited.

Nothing.

Nothing! No pain, no white light, no nothing! I opened my eyes a crack. I'm on the ground and…no wait, I'm in mid-air! Did I just like, die and turn into an angel? Hahaha… yeah right. I should've gone to hell for all the stuff I've done.

I took a glance behind me and froze. Okay…I expected to see the reddening sky but nooo…instead I saw wings. Yes, wings. Pure white wings billowed out from behind me, sending a mass of white feathers swirling around in the cool autumn breeze. I didn't fall as far as I thought, maybe only halfway or four stories.

I slowly allowed my wings to carry me up back to the rooftop, standing on the railing with superior balance. I expected to see a dumbstruck look on Cody's face but he only stuffed his hands in his pocket with a slight grin.

"So you're a Nephilim too." He said quietly.

Nephilim? What is that, a kind of freak?

Cody must've read my expression because he clasped his hands together and was enclosed by a gold light. When my eyes finally recovered, Cody was hovering about a foot above the floor using a pair of black-feathered wings.

"You see mom isn't our real mother." He said and stretched out his hands, twin swords appearing in both of them.

I gulped. I'm officially dead. Me who had no idea how to control these wings versus a guy who had been using them for at the most a year with _two_ swords. Who d'ya think will win? Thought so.

"We've been orphaned from birth and Carey and Kurt adopted us."

"Wait, back up." I said, "Where'd you get this information?"

Cody merely smiled. I shuttered slightly, that smile's really creeping me out.

"I've got my ways." He said as he ran towards me, brandishing his glowing gold swords.

I did the only sensible thing. I leaned back and fell. My wings instantly kicked into gear, it's like they have a brain of their own. Or maybe I'm controlling them without knowing it.

Cody cleared the railing and charged in after me. I turned tail and ran…flew, powered by adrenaline. After gliding past several tall buildings, I glanced into the reflective wall of one building, seeing only myself. The building gone past in a flash as another one started. I glanced in it again, seeing myself and_ Cody _just_ above me._ I swallowed.

He must've noticed because he glided down to my level, slashing one of his swords downwards. A searing pain shot through my leg as I tried to evade.

By now, night has already fallen and the full moon was the only thing lighting up our flight. Cody sped ahead of me and then charged back, I dodged at the last second. I felt a blade rip through my shoulder as another one barely missed my left ear. I clenched my teeth to stop myself from screaming.

"Did that hurt you?" he asked as he plunged his blade into my arm, "Wonderful."

I felt dizzy. I don't know if it's from the pain, the flying, or the loss of blood. I felt my wings give away as I crashed onto asphalt. I swear I heard a crack. In a golden glow, my wings disappeared, leaving me sprawling defenselessly on the ground.

Cody landed quietly beside me, looking down with a grin.

"I guess this is it." He said, "Now you feel the pain I've suffered for more than fourteen years." His second blade disappeared, leaving him with a single longsword.

I struggled to get to a sitting position. "No, you're wrong." I said. "What's with you? Don't you see? The only reason I bully you around is because I envy you."

Yeah, that made him stop in his tracks.

"I mean good looks aren't everything. You got everything else, the brains, heck, we're _twins_!" I continued.

"Riiiight…you almost had me there." He said and raised his sword.

I held up my arms in defense, expecting to feel a sharp blow before everything disappeared in darkness. But that blow didn't come. I opened one of my eyes before the other one shot open. Cody's sword was hovering about two inches above my forehead.

"What am I doing?" he whispered.

He dropped the sword with a clatter as he clutched his shaking hand. For the first time in years, I saw wild fear in his eyes. I saw pain that a normal fourteen-year old shouldn't have.

"Z-Zack! I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened." He dropped to his knees and hugged me, "Please help me."

Huh? He was like "I'm gonna kill you, blah, blah, blah" a few seconds ago and now he's asking for my help? I don't get it.

"Hey Cody. What happened?" I asked, pulling Cody away from my stinging wounds.

"I-it was Zeke. Please help me." He sobbed, "I–"

He opened his mouth to speak but suddenly stopped. Without warning, he fell limp in my arm.

"Cody?" I asked as I shook him gently.

"Don't worry. I just knocked him out." Said a cold voice from behind me.

I spun around to see a middle aged man with shoulder-length gray hair.

* * *

Muahahaha… enjoy! Oh yeah, when I went to the east coast (New York, Boston, Niagara, etc.) one room that I stayed in was 613... Creepy.

_**Trivia:** In the episode "A Prom Story" Maurice the mime claims to not have spoken for 30 years but you can see him speaking to someone in the background when Maddie is talking to Zack at the prom._


	8. Blood Stains

Disclaimer: I do not own TSL

**Dark Angel**

_Chapter 8:_** Blood Stains**

**Zack's POV**

"Who're you?" I asked.

"My name's Ezekiel, Nephilim." He said, walking towards me.

There was that word again, Nephilim. I need some answers. I tried standing up but my knees buckled and I fell to the ground.

"So…" he said, "Are you going to join me or not?"

"Join you?" what kind of crap is this guy spouting? "Why would I join you?"

"Because, Nephilim…"

"Okay, the name is Zack. What is a 'Nephilim' anyway?" I said, my patience growing short.

"Nephilim… they are created by crossbreeding the 'sons of God' and the 'daughters of men.'"

"Uhhhh… translation?" I added a little gesture.

"Oh!" he said with impatience, "Shemhazai, an angel of high rank, led a rebel sect of angels in a descent to earth to instruct humans in righteousness. The tutelage went on for a few centuries, but soon the angels pined for the human females. After lusting, the fallen angels instructed the women in magic and conjuring, mated with them, and produced hybrid offspring: the Nephilim"

I blinked. So he's saying I'm a hybrid. Thanks a lot.

"So what do you want with me?" I asked, "And my brother."

He gave a wicked smile, "Nothing, except your power. Join me and together we'll destroy humans once and for all."

Either this guy's gone mental or he really hates humans. I vote for mental.

"Why would I sell out my own race?" I asked, "What kind of an idiot do you think I am?"

He shrugged, "Well, guess I have no choice but to destroy your key…and your memories of these events."

"My key?"

Zeke nodded, "Your key, it symbolizes your rank and status. If I destroy your key, you'll be helpless."

I felt my fists clench together. I slowly pulled myself up again, being careful not to put pressure on my bleeding leg and limped over closer to Zeke.

"Then destroy it, but not before you explain everything. Things like our parents, our past, and what the hell you did with Cody!" it took a lot to keep me from shouting.

"Oh yes. I guess you'll deserve that." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Your parents…even I don't know a lot about. I'm thinking they were tracked down and killed before you even took your first glance of the world. You were put into foster care until Kurt and Carey adopted you." He paused and thought some more.

"As for Cody…" he glanced at his limp body, "If you live through this, and if he wakes up, he could fill you in with all the detail. But still, killing you would be a pleasure too."

He held out his right hand concentrating on it. Then with a sickening rip, the skin and flesh tore from it, revealing the metal frame of a hand. He began flexing it and drew out sharp steel claws.

"Go to hell, Nephilim!" he roared and charged towards me, his hand thrusting forward as I braced myself for the impact.

Then something I will never forget happened, everything was in slow motion. Cody rushed in front of me and absorbed the blow. Blood splattered everywhere. I could see Zeke's claws poking out of the back of his body. Cody gave a strange sound caught in between a gasp and a whimper. With a forceful movement, Zeke freed his claws from Cody's body, causing him to drop to the ground.

It felt as if time was standing still, I couldn't seem to move. Then everything went back to normal. I rushed to him, kneeling beside his bleeding body. I felt tears sting my eyes. Cody's head turned towards me, his usually bright blue eyes now dimming.

"Zack…" he said weakly, "Please tell mom I'm sorr…" he caught his breath and gave a slight shutter. His eyes closed with no hope of opening again.

Tears rolled down my cheeks and onto Cody's lifeless body. I felt sick. Disgusted. Enraged. I slowly pulled out the pistol Cody had stuck in his belt, the metal still warm from his body. My anger spiked as I rose up and pointed it at him.

With my vision blurred by tears, I shot. Zeke merely jerked his head aside as the bullet sped past him and into concrete.

"How sad, your own brother giving up his life to save yours. Pathetic." He said as he clicked his claws together, "I know, why don't you join him."

All right, that made my blood boil. My anger was getting the best of me. I charged towards him, abandoning the gun. An object began materializing in my hand. Glancing at it I saw that it was a cutlass. I thrust it forward, making contact with Zeke's hand. I felt a jolt of energy and was thrown back, landing on my injured limbs. Zeke however clutched his hand as if it was going to bite him. With a strange crunch his hand began disappearing, turning into dust as the evening breeze whistled through. His key began fading too, leaving a useless length of chain dangling from his neck.

"I – what? No!" he screamed as he collapsed onto the ground, "I may be done but The Powers will still be looking for you! Mark my words, you shall be destroyed!" he shouted before his flesh burned, turning him into a singed mass of bones and that too disappeared.

* * *

Muahahaha! I just killed Cody! –Evil grin- who knows what I'll do next! Oh yeah, to Jenny: If you saw the premiere of "Fallen" on ABC Family you'll know what a Nephilim is.

_**Trivia:** On "That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana" when the twins were singing their rap, at one point one of them closes their mouth and is clearly not singing yet you hear the sounds of both twins singing._

_**Mistake:** On the same episode, Hannah Montana walks in and Cody says, "You're Hannah Montana" and Hannah points to Cody and says, "You're wearing cake" but she eats the cake off of Zack's shirt._


	9. There and Back

Disclaimer: I do not own TSL

**Dark Angel**

_Chapter 9_: **There and Back**

**Zack's POV**

I stood there, not knowing what to do. Zeke's destroyed but he said something about "The Powers," whatever that is. A light drizzle fell from the sky mixing with the blood on my shirt, turning it into a pinkish hue. I crouched down next to Cody, ignoring the pain coursing throughout my body. I cried. Cried like there was no tomorrow. I didn't care if anyone saw me, I didn't care if my friends saw me. Cody's dead and that's all I cared about. I touched his key, which was slowly fading. I prayed. Prayed for mercy. _Please bring him back._

As though heaven has answered, my key started to glow a brilliant red as his key glowed an electric blue. The wings of my key disappeared as his key reappeared, wings and all. I held my breath. Cody's key is back…does that mean he's alive?

I shook him gently, "Cody?"

He lay there as lifeless as before. I wiped the tears from my eyes and sighed. Because of the rain, my wounds started to bleed again. I shook my head wildly, sending droplets of water flying from my hair. I was just about to stand up until I saw his finger twitch.

"Cody!"

He bolted up, panting heavily as he replenished his air supply.

"What just happened?" he asked in a panic-stricken tone.

I hugged him for the first time in years, considering the pain in my stomach. "You're back," I finally manage to choke out. I was crying again but this time, they were tears of joy.

"Yeah, I'm back."

I felt a bit dizzy but stood up anyway, "Cody, let's get you home."

He nodded and gingerly touched his stomach where Zeke's claws uh…skewered him. Not even a mark. I wrapped one of his arms around my neck and began slowly walking back to the Tipton. Step after step, I felt pain rocket through my body. Rain was pounding on my sore wounds, making blood flow freely down from them. Cody has slipped into a semiconscious state. I couldn't blame him, I mean after what he's gone through. I was about thirty yards away from the nearest bus stop when my leg gave out.

I felt faint but tried to get up. I gave a pained groan as I collapsed again, landing on my slashed elbow. The ground around me started to spin as I felt my head hit the pavement hard. I felt myself pulling away.

One last thought rang through my mind before I slipped into darkness, "_I'm sorry, Max. I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise…_"

---

I slowly awoke feeling a heavy object on my chest. Using a lot of energy, I opened my eyes a crack. I scanned my surroundings, expecting to be in the rain but instead, found myself in a hospital bed. The heavy object turned out to be Cody. He was snoring softly, his long, shaggy hair covering his eyes.

"Cody, get offa me." I groaned, my voice sounded hoarse.

"Zack?" I heard a sleepy voice call out, "Zack, is that you?"

Heck, if I'm not Zack then I don't know who I am. There was a faint click as I was blinded with light.

"Zack, are you all right?" Cody asked.

I weakly smiled, "Yeah, you doofus. Of course I'm all right."

I looked around, seeing everything was either white or silver. My eyes fell on a clock.

"Six?" I muttered as I scratched at the IV on my arm, "I was out for nine hours?"

Cody's expression fell, "No, nine hours and eight days. I think you were in a coma or something."

Yeah, that made my heart jump. Countless questions began pouring into my mind.

"Where's mom? Is she okay? How did we get here? Is…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down!" he said, raising his arms, "One at a time. First of all, mom's okay, I think she'll be here today. As to how we got here…I'm not really sure. I think a bus driver saw us and brought us to the hospital. I remember a guy asking for our phone number."

That explained it.

"Can we go back to sleep?" he asked as he muffled a yawn.

I gave a weak chuckle. Yup, that's Cody. I closed my eyes and before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

* * *

**2nd person POV** **_A month later…_**

Zack slowly walked in the door of their suite with an unmistakable limp. Cody was sitting on the couch with a pair of wire-framed reading glasses. He looked up as Zack sat down beside him.

"Hey Cody, whassup?" Zack asked, brushing a lock of hair from his eyes.

Cody shrugged, "Reading 'Hostage to the Devil'," he said in a casual tone.

Zack mentally shuttered, _Cody really _has_ changed a lot._

"I heard that dad is coming to see us soon." Cody said, slipping his reading glasses off and set them on a side table.

Zack nodded, "Yeah, I think he's coming today."

_Knock. Knock._

"I'll get it." Said Cody and walked to the door.

He peered through the peephole before yanking the door open.

"Codester!" Zack heard a familiar voice say.

"Dad!" the twins said in unison as Zack limped over to their father.

"Hey, you better let that rest." Kurt said, putting on a serious face.

"Right." Muttered Zack as he walked back to the couch.

"Mom?" called Cody.

Carey poked her head through the bathroom door.

"Oh hey, Kurt!" she said warmly, a smile spread onto her face, "How's everything going?"

Kurt shrugged, "Pretty rough. When you called, I just arrived in Singapore. It took me a while to get back here," he looked at the boys, "So are they okay?"

Carey nodded, "Yeah, they're all right now."

* * *

**Epilogue/Prequel:**_ (A/N: If you don't want to read the sequel, don't read this!)_

"I told you I couldn't run!" Zack said with a whine as he limped through the lobby door.

"Well it didn't hurt to try." Cody said as he made his way to the elevator and punched the button.

"Easy for you to say," muttered Zack as he rubbed his sore knee.

They arrived on the twenty-third floor and began to walk to their suite.

"Oh suck it u – " Cody suddenly stopped.

"What is it?" Zack asked curiously.

A single word escaped his brother's lips, "Smoke."

The twins paused and looked at each other before running at breakneck speed to their suite. The smell got stronger as they approached their room. Zack nearly gagged as he unlocked the door and pushed it open.

Thick clouds of black smoke billowed out. Crouching down low, Zack saw something he wished he hadn't. Their mother and father were lying on the couch, their throats slit. Dead.

Zack felt faint at the sight of their deceased parents. He dropped to his hands and knees trying to get oxygen back into his system but his lungs finally gave out, making his head drown in a pool of darkness.

* * *

Whoo! Final chapter, mate! If you feel that I have to change anything, tell me. _Please review_! 

_**Trivia:** ("The Prince and the Plunger") When London is sitting in the closet and Mr. Moseby asks if he could take her to the dance she stops crying and her make-up is fine. Then when she stands up the camera zooms in on her face and she has a line of mascara running down her cheek._

_**Bonus Trivia:** ("Going For the Gold") When Arwin is talking after he passes the finish line, you could tell that his lips are pink, as if Carey has already kissed him. So obviously they did the kissing scene at least twice or more._


End file.
